Slow Burn 2
by avitable
Summary: Sequel to Slow Burn - involves Apokolips, JLA, etc. Please r&r!
1. Chapter 1

Slow Burn II, by Adam Heath Avitable  
  
This is a sequel to Slow Burn (duh!) and it is recommended you read it before you try to figure out what is going on here.  
  
***************** The large, red-haired figure stood silently at the window, clasping his hands behind his back. When he spoke, his voice was harsh and grating. "Desaad, why have you called me back from my negotiations on New Genesis?"  
  
Desaad, an ugly little man who always hid his face in a large-cowled robe, scurried over. "Master Orion, although Apokolips has flourished in your absence, we needed your power to reach our goal. Your Astro-force is necessary to provide the proper . . . motivation."  
  
"And what, pray tell, is our goal?"  
  
"Ever since your father, the mighty Darkseid, discovered that the final portion of the anti-life equation resided within the mind of one of Earth's humans, he has prepared for its harvesting. His disappearance five years ago has not stopped our machinations." Desaad's eyes sparkled with excitement.  
  
"Why would I, ruler of Apokolips, care about the free will of the universe?"  
  
"Because, Master Orion, the full anti-life equation will, as you say, give you full reign and control over the free will of every soul in the universe. Only then will you have the order that you so desperately seek."  
  
"Infidel!" Orion roared, sending Desaad to the ground with a vicious backhand. His eyes glowed. "I am a GOD, you unworthy rodent, and you will do well to remember that desperation is for the weak."  
  
"Yes, Master Orion," Desaad huddled on the ground.  
  
"Very well, I shall provide my Astro-force where you need it. Go and prepare the project."  
  
**************** "Did everything go according to plan?" queried a large, imposing woman. With a huge mane of white hair and a scarred, twisted face, Granny Goodness was exactly the type of monster who would give children nightmares. And that she did, in her orphanage, where she raised her children with an iron fist . . . and torture, too, if necessary.  
  
"Of course. Our 'Master' is eager to get back to his paradise on New Genesis. He maintains that he is still negotiating with them, when we know that he is enjoying life in luxury." Desaad stood at the head of the small room, looking at his partners in treachery. "Once the anti-life equation is ours, we will control not one, but all worlds!"  
  
*************** Alan Scott slowly awakened as his unconsciousness slipped away into the dark. He was strapped to a gurney, standing upright. Struggling, he couldn't even budge. As Sentinel, considered by many to be the most powerful being in the universe, he should be able to call on the green flame that fuels him to release him in an instant. However, something was keeping him from fully tapping into the power of the starheart. It had been this way since he had been ambushed those few years prior.  
  
He had spent his time on this vile planet of Apokolips having his limits tested and his power drained. His captors kept all the prisoners separate from each other, but Alan managed to retain enough power to make brief contact with many of his fellow inmates.  
  
There was the boy, Billy, who was never allowed to leave his chair. They tortured him constantly, making him repeat a word over and over again. Alan would try to help Billy to maintain his sanity. They would talk, albeit in their minds, and Alan would tell Billy stories to fuel his imagination. Billy would pay rapt attention for hours, learning about the antics of Captain Carrot, and the Losers, and the Swamp Thing. And then, it would be time again. Alan always begged Billy to give in. "Don't fight, Billy. It's just a word."  
  
Billy would fight until his eyes were bloodshot and his ears bled until he would give in. "Shazam!" he'd cry, and lightning would flash down to him. Before it could hit him, however, it was diverted by the surrounding apparatus embracing his chair. Alan was always equal parts amazed and dismayed at the resistance this child could put forth, time and time again. It killed him to hear Billy's cries after another session.  
  
There was Ray, who had amazing light-generating abilities. He was plugged into a receiver dish, with wires coming from every possible location on his body. For twelve hours a day, his power was forcibly removed from him, and he was given twelve hours a day to recharge. A small portal - or Boom Tube, Alan recalled - was opened, allowing the sun from Earth to pour through. During this time, Alan and Ray would talk about his father, Happy, who was one of Alan's teammates years ago.  
  
There was Ted Knight, a friend and former teammate, as well. Ted resisted his captors in the beginning, but now used his cosmic rod willingly. Alan feared that Ted's mind had crumbled, only to learn that Ted's power was being used to fuel and provide valuable resources to some of Apokolips' most downtrodden residents.  
  
And of course, there were many more - the girl who could generate ice, the atomic military man, the man who could blow things up at will, and the Flashes. Alan had only caught a brief psychic glimpse of Jay and Barry, after he'd been a prisoner for about six months, but couldn't find them anymore. He hoped they were out there somewhere. Coming back to reality, Alan tried to gauge his surroundings. From the faint glow he generated, it looked like he was in a small black capsule - just large enough to fit his lanky frame. He felt like he had been trapped in a giant black pill, about to be swallowed by some unknown monster.  
  
***************** "What is contained in those black capsules?" Orion asked, viewing the testing chamber from a nearby control room. A silver globe more than twenty feet in diameter floated in the middle of the chamber, surrounded by twenty black capsules. The capsules were spread evenly throughout the chamber and connected to the silver globe by thick black cables.  
  
"Those are volunteers who have offered a small portion of their essence for this experiment, Master Orion." Desaad said as he hovered over the console. "We will begin counting down. When it is the proper time, please direct your Astro-force to the birthing matrix." He pointed to the silver globe.  
  
**5 MINUTES AND COUNTING**  
  
Jay ran harder, sweat glistening on his forehead. After they took Barry away, he was forced to run twice as long and hard as before. I hope Barry is okay, he thought, although part of him hoped that Barry had finally succumbed to the release of death. It seemed only fair.  
  
After five plus years of waiting to be rescued, of hoping against hope that his family was coming for him, Barry had finally given up. He had stopped running and just stood there, staring off into space. "They're not coming," he said quietly. That was when they had come and taken Barry away, kicking and screaming, and forced Jay to perform the work of two speedsters.  
  
**4 MINUTES AND COUNTING**  
  
In the testing chamber, the silver globe slowly opened, in response to a command from Desaad. It was empty inside, Orion could see clearly. He watched as two mute parademons entered the chamber, dragging a fighting, screaming figure. The figure was unceremoniously dumped into the globe and shackled in place. One of the parademons slapped the figure viciously, silencing the screams. Orion wanted to look away - was he not given to mercy? - but knew that Desaad would interpret it as weakness. The birthing matrix closed and the chamber was once again quiet.  
  
**3 MINUTES AND COUNTING**  
  
Alan realized, with a strange sense of déjà vu, that he was pretty sure he knew what was going to happen. I must warn someone, he thought. Maybe I can just reach anyone on Earth if I try hard enough. Putting forth more effort than even when he was first captured, Alan sent an urgent message to Earth. "Trouble coming!" was all he could manage before slumping in his restraints, on the edge of consciousness.  
  
**2 MINUTES AND COUNTING**  
  
J'onn J'onzz sat in the monitor room, observing the hundreds of monitors flashing "all clear" messages. Although he normally liked the peace and quiet that came from the midnight shift of monitor duty, he realized that he was feeling quite anti-monitor duty. Maybe it was due to the fact that, as a founding member of the Justice League, he finally felt he had friends. He could find consolation in activities other than quiet observation and eating Choco cookies.  
  
"TROUBLE COMING!" The words blared in his head, causing him to reel from the pure force. As he braced himself for another psychic assault, he felt the connection dissipate. J'onn concentrated for a moment, trying to trace the residue to its source, but was unable to. Quickly, he contacted his teammates and requested an urgent meeting.  
  
**1 MINUTE AND COUNTING**  
  
Each of the black capsules started glowing and the cables leading to the birthing matrix gave off an eerie blue glow. Alan screamed in agony as he felt his power drained out of him, and he could hear the screams of those around him.  
  
**ZERO**  
  
Orion's eyes flared, and the all-powerful Astro-force blazed towards the matrix. It sparked with lightning and smoke poured from the seams. After about a minute, Orion stopped. The capsules stopped glowing and the silver globe slowly opened.  
  
Smoke obscured everyone's vision. As it cleared, Orion and his generals could see a figure standing in the shadows of the open matrix. Power poured, palpably, in waves from the unmoving form.  
  
Orion spoke clearly. "This is your Master Orion, Lord of Apokolips. You are mine and mine alone to command. Step forward and be seen."  
  
He gazed in triumph as Darkseid stepped forward, staring ahead with blank eyes. 


	2. Chapter 2

Slow Burn 2  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"What is your name?" Orion demanded.  
  
"I am nameless." Darkseid stepped forward, looking at nothing but the space directly in front of him. His skin was almost black, giving off a dark, smoky glow. He was clothed in red and yellow armor that spoke of blood and violence.  
  
"What is your purpose?"  
  
"To find and retrieve the anti-life equation."  
  
"Where will you achieve this?"  
  
"On Earth."  
  
Desaad stepped out of Orion's shadow and explained. "We have imprinted him with the knowledge and ability to track down the equation. It is very precise, and he should be able to determine if it exists within a single mind."  
  
"He is amazing!" Orion said proudly.  
  
"Yes, Lord Orion, and," Desaad cowered, "if you would forgive my treachery, he is better than the original! While we were unable to duplicate the all- powerful Omega Force that your father possessed, we did, however, imbue him with power beyond belief. He can lift mountains, bake entire cities in an instant and create energies that do not even exist in our spectrum. In addition, he will adapt and learn new abilities. Combined with his awesome speed, my creation is a force to be reckoned with. For the heroes on Earth, this is certain to be their doomsday!"  
  
"That is a fitting name, Desaad," Orion said. "Nameless one, you are to be called Doomsday. Repeat your name."  
  
"Doomsday." A smile lurked behind the blank façade.  
  
"Lord Orion, allow me to demonstrate his abilities. Doomsday, on the far side of the planet, I have placed a child in an energy prison 600 feet in the air. When the prison has been breached, the child will be killed exactly one second later by an explosive neck restraint, made from the strongest materials on this, or any, planet. Go and bring me the child unharmed."  
  
Doomsday stood still.  
  
"Lord Orion, if you would . . ." Desaad waited.  
  
"Follow Desaad's instructions." Orion's voice boomed.  
  
To Orion and his generals, it appeared as if Doomsday had simply disappeared, with a slight red and yellow blur in his wake. Before anyone could breathe or speak, the creature appeared again, holding a small boy in one giant hand.  
  
"Now, Doomsday, kill the child." Desaad said, looking intently at Orion.  
  
Doomsday did not hesitate. A white glow emanated from his hand. There was a flash, and soot poured to the ground. The child was gone.  
  
"You see, Lord Orion," Desaad exclaimed, "there is no pause, no thought, but still he exhibits logic and rational behavior. He can still strategize. I must say that he is perfect."  
  
"Desaad, I think you spoke too soon, too full of arrogance." Orion's voice shook with a cold anger as he pointed to the creature.  
  
Doomsday was on his knees, shaking. His frame grew rigid, and his skin charred and peeled off. Underneath, a pure white skin gleamed, and a chalky dust rose from his body. The shaking slowly ceased as Doomsday struggled to retain his previous posture.  
  
"You fool!" Orion raged. "What is this bizarre creature? This is an utter failure that I should destroy right now!" His eyes glowed.  
  
"Wait, Lord Orion," Desaad pleaded. "He may have only been undergoing a further mutation. He is unique, and we cannot replace him. The specimen we used as a template was unique in its ability to undergo this change. My readings show that his physical strength is still as before, maybe stronger. It does, however, look like Doomsday's mental faculties are a little clouded. This should prove no obstacle in our goal, however."  
  
"Creature," Orion's voice thundered. "What is your name?"  
  
"DOOOOMMMMSDAY." The voice that was commanding came out more like a feral growl.  
  
"What is your purpose?"  
  
"ANTI-LIFE."  
  
"Where is the anti-life equation?"  
  
'EARTH."  
  
******  
  
"I'm sorry we can't make it, J'onn," Dick Grayson said via monitor, "but, ever since Jim Gordon's face was scarred at the carnival, he's been playing judge, jury, and executioner. He's fascinated with the number 2 now, and I think he's developed a split personality."  
  
"We? Us?" J'onn inquired, confused.  
  
"Holy Marvin the Martian!" A young face in a yellow and red mask filled the screen. "You must be J'onn! I'm Robin the Boing Wonder!" With that, he disappeared from the screen and could be seen bouncing around in the background, saying "Boing! Boing!"  
  
"Dick, you're using a child?" J'onn asked incredulously.  
  
"It's complicated. I'll explain more when I can. It looks like Jim's holding the Olsen twins hostage unless McDonald's brings back 2 Big Macs for $2." The monitor blinked off.  
  
In the next room, J'onn heard the snap-hiss of the transporter as members of the Justice League began arriving.  
  
" . . . Episode Two was better? How could you defend that movie compared to the originals?" Wally West entered the room, arguing with Barry Allen, Jr. The two, better known to the public as the Flash and Superman, respectively, had grown up like brothers and were best friends. Wally was dressed in a scarlet suit similar to that of his uncle and idol, Barry Allen, Senior. The only difference was a red headpiece that covered his eyes with custom Oakley lenses and gold lightning earpieces that extended as antennas to his cowl radio.  
  
"Are you kidding? Yoda kicked ass and that five minutes was worth the whole movie by far!" Barry Junior, aka BJ, had fashioned a costume that merged his two identities - his initial adopted identity as a Flash and member of the Allen family, and his newly-discovered heritage as Kal of the House of El from the planet Krypton. With a combination of red, gold, and blue, marked with lightning bolts interspersed with the El family crest, the costume had sparked a fashion trend in popular society. "Abin, saber me!"  
  
Abin Sur, Earth's protector as a member of the Green Lantern Corps, sighed and generated a lightsaber in Barry's hands. He started swinging and thrusting at Wally, who motioned at Abin and got his own saber in turn. The two engaged in a mock battle, performing "Jedi" tricks. BJ did triple and quadruple backflips and Wally ran up the walls while fighting. As Wally was advancing, readying his saber, Barry charged, blowing Wally down with his breath while swinging. Startled, Wally pushed out with his hands, as if to protect himself. BJ flew backwards across the room, smacking the far wall.  
  
"How'd you do that, Wally?" BJ asked.  
  
Wally looked shocked. "You mean you didn't just fly backwards? I guess I am a Jedi!"  
  
"As long as you don't keep using my husband as a guinea pig, you can be anything you want." Diana, the beauty known as Wonder Woman, entered the main conference room. Her traditional outfit had been foregone for the Amazonian maternal robes, as Diana was visibly pregnant. Her distended stomach shone like a small sun. "Little Kara is going to need a super- powered father to keep up with her."  
  
"Joel, not Kara," Barry said, "Remember, sweetie, we are keeping it unknown on purpose. Unless you peeked?" he teased.  
  
"Never." Diana smiled. Her mere presence radiated over the room with a quiet glow.  
  
As everyone settled in their seats, the monitor indicated an incoming message. J'onn turned it on to see an extreme closeup of a face. "I'll be right there," the face said, and a moment later, a figure grew quickly from the ground in front of the monitor. "Boy, riding the video stream is always so much easier than a phone line." Ray Palmer strode to his seat, a floating, miniaturized chair that hovered over the table. He was dressed in his trademark outfit, a dark red suit and tie adorned with a simple atom symbol. With a quick jump, he shrunk to the perfect size to sit comfortably.  
  
"Now that Ray's here, can we start the meeting?" Abin asked.  
  
"Yes." J'onn recounted his recent psychic attack in great detail. He had since done research and explored psychically. The Martian hero had not yet found any trouble, nor encountered the mind that warned him.  
  
"So, what should we do? I mean, we already monitor the entire world on a moment-to-moment basis. Other than keeping us all active 24 hours a day, I don't see what else we could do." BJ spoke up, from his position at the head of the table.  
  
"True." J'onn said solemnly. "However, if you had felt the pain and force of this message, you would have felt the same sense of urgency. I think that this warning was of impending trouble, not some anomalous future conflict that we could never possibly predict or prepare for."  
  
His words rang true. An alarm sounded at that exact moment.  
  
"I don't recognize that alarm," Ray said. "What is it?"  
  
"It means a Boom Tube has deposited someone or something on Earth. This alarm was created by our knowledge of Apokoliptian technology to prevent anyone from doing what they did to Barry and Jay five years prior." Diana said gravely.  
  
"It's in Gotham," Wally stood by the console. "What should we do, Mr. Chairman?"  
  
"Diana, you and Ray remain here to coordinate. Abin, you take point and head down there directly. The rest of us will follow by teleporter." BJ strode around the room, almost enjoying his role. "Contact Dick and let him know, too, if he doesn't already."  
  
******  
  
Batman and his new sidekick, Robin, did indeed know what was going on. From the rafters, they were watching and planning as Jim Gordon threatened hostages and cohorts alike. When the Boom Tube opened in the middle of the warehouse floor, everyone was surprised.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" The ugly scarred mouth uttered these words with a guttural growl as Jim Gordon turned his face towards the creature who had just appeared. "You're ruining a perfectly good hostage situation!"  
  
Doomsday stepped forward, looking a little disoriented. He had mutated further, with juts of bone sticking out from his extended brow. He raised his nose to the air and sniffed. "ANTI-LIFE." He growled, and with that statement, began to head for the exit.  
  
The sound of gunfire erupted as Gordon, wearing a half-black, half-white suit, shot at Doomsday with a large silver .45 in one hand and a black Glock 9mm in the other. "My pair beats your full house, bonehead!" he cackled as he charged.  
  
Doomsday merely glared at him as if he were a small ant. A blast shot from his hands, freezing Gordon in a block of ice. With one quick movement, Doomsday was upon him, shattering the would-be villain into a thousand minute pieces.  
  
"Holy Walt Disney, Batman!" Robin exclaimed. "Can we beat this guy?"  
  
"We don't have a choice," Dick said grimly, activating a Justice League distress beacon on his belt. "Let's do our best to keep him occupied until the big guns come."  
  
******  
  
Abin Sur was a green blur as he arced towards Gotham. The distress beacon began going off as he neared the town limits, so he headed directly for the signal. Although he didn't know what to expect, Abin remained calm. He had been a Green Lantern for almost thirty years, now, and had never yet faced a challenge that he couldn't overcome. His ring was nigh-omnipotent, and could only fail when faced with a lack of willpower, or the color yellow. He was a member of the powerful Green Lantern Corps, and each member had a ring, with the same abilities and weaknesses. When a Green Lantern died, the ring was designed to seek out the closest worthy successor, in order to preserve and maintain the legacy.  
  
As he grew closer to the signal, he could rely on his sight and hearing to find the best location. Smoke spiraled from several buildings, and police and ambulance sirens filled the air. One clearing had only recently held a building, as evidenced by the debris and bodies on the ground. The dust had settled mere moments before. Abin dove to the ground as he recognized Dick's costumed body lying unnaturally across a concrete beam, next to a small red and yellow bundle that looked like it used to be human. His ring informed him that Batman was still alive, however, as was the boy next to him. How much longer they lived was another question altogether.  
  
In an instant, the perpetrator of these horrible actions stood before him. Before Abin could even react, the creature hit him with a lightning-fast uppercut. Abin flew into the atmosphere before he could gain his bearings. His ring protected him from mortal injuries, but that blow would have killed anyone else, except maybe Superman. As Abin charged to the ground, his ring gave him information about the creature. "Name: Doomsday. Origin: Apokolips. Known weakness: None."  
  
Doomsday stood looking at the red and green figure approaching. Everything seemed in slow motion to him as the figure grew closer. Doomsday's vision was murky, and the aura he was instructed to look for was appearing in blotches in several places, not in one solid image or sensation, as he was told. Confused, Doomsday shook his head. It seemed like his concentration was waning with every moment and he just wanted the pain and noise in his head to stop.  
  
Abin slowed as he faced Doomsday. Looking for a quick solution, he encased the monster in a giant green bubble. If he couldn't hit anything, he couldn't harm anything, Abin thought, only to be horrified as Doomsday used his red and yellow gloves to punch viciously at the bubble, causing cracks and bending Abin's will. The bubble shattered, depositing Doomsday to the ground.  
  
With a roar, Doomsday began to advance on Abin. Abin prepared himself for quite a fight, to be shocked as Doomsday disappeared. No, not disappeared, Abin thought frantically, he just moved fast. Almost as fast as . . .  
  
******  
  
Wally, BJ, and J'onn teleported to the cave - Bat-cave, as Dick jokingly calls it, BJ thought - in Gotham and headed directly for the source of Dick's distress beeper. The three were a blur through the streets and they arrived just in time to see an albino-skinned, red and yellow garbed Doomsday crush the skull of a helpless Abin Sur. 


	3. Chapter 3

Slow Burn 2  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"So I was in Gotham on business - a freelance gig doing work on the new Turtle Boy comic - when I saw the whole thing happen."  
  
"I was walking from Jenny's apartment - she's my girlfriend - to the restaurant where I was meeting the writers, when the building I was next to exploded. Not in flames and smoke, you know, but like something inside had just torn the place down. The force knocked me into a car, and I think I blacked out. The next thing I know, I see this creature standing in the middle of where the building used to be, holding Green Lantern - well, you know - Abin Sur, by his head. I heard a horrible crunch, and the creature threw Abin Sur right at me."  
  
"Someone screamed - not a scream like in a werewolf movie, or like in that TV show Wendy the Werewolf Slayer - but a bellow. I saw the Flash, Superman, and Martian Manhunter approaching from the other side of the block. That was all I really saw clearly. At the time, everything was a blur - those guys move fast! - but now, I can almost slow it down in my mind and see the entire scene. I didn't know I could do that."  
  
"The whole thing was over in about 30 seconds, I think. The Flash charged this creature - I know his name is Doomsday now - and pounded him with what must have a thousand shots. Doomsday staggered a little bit, and responded with such speed that I couldn't believe it. The two began moving around the block so fast that all I could see were afterimages - red and yellow flashes of light and dark. Then there was a bright flash of light - like those things the Special Forces use to disorient terrorists - and by the time I could see anything again, Doomsday had pounded the Flash into a wall. Flash's costume was really torn up, and he was bleeding, but he was still breathing. I've never seen the Flash get taken down that fast. You know, I never saw any of the Justice League in person until today, but I watched on TV when he stopped that crazy guy who was driving around, trying to bore holes to the center of the earth - what did he call himself? Imperior? Imperiex? something - and he seemed invincible. I never thought someone could do that to him."  
  
"Anyways, I think this confused the Martian Manhunter and Superman, too. They seemed to look at each other for a second - I guess maybe they were communicating - the Martian guy is psychic, isn't he? - and then they charged simultaneously. Two things happened: First, a ball of green flame shot from Doomsday and encircled the Manhunter. It squeezed in on him, and I could see his body start forming and reforming. He looked like he was in the worst pain of his life, and there was nothing I could do. The flames seemed alive - almost hungry - and they didn't burn anything else around them. They drove MM - can I call him that? - to a fetal position, and just pulsed, hovering over him. I don't know what happened after that, because there was the other explosion."  
  
"You see, it was just down to the two of them. As Doomsday was taking care of MM, Superman chose a different method. He walked towards the monster, compassion echoing in his voice. 'Who are you? How can we help you? What do you want?'"  
  
"'ANTI-LIFE,' Doomsday snarled, "DOOMSDAY ANTI-LIFE EARTH APOKOLIPS.'"  
  
"'Doomsday? I don't want to hurt you, but you must stand down now. Do you understand?' Superman walked closer to the creature with his hand outstretched. Whether it was my imagination or my senses were working overtime, I could see sweat glistening on his forehead. It looked like it was working, though. Doomsday let Superman get within arm's reach. 'We will help you if we can, but I don't want to hurt you.'"  
  
"'Will you submit?' Superman asked as he grasped Doomsday's upper arm. In response, Doomsday slowly reached out, and with a solitary finger, touched Superman's shoulder. I don't know what he did, but that touch caused this massive explosion, and I heard windows shatter all around me. When the dust cleared, they were still standing, but Superman's costume was torn, and he was bleeding from his head and his chest. With a lightning fast movement, Doomsday's arms stretched out - like Silly Putty or something - and embraced Superman. Superman struggled ferociously, even flying up trying to get away, but Doomsday was able to hold him easily. I could see power flowing between the two - it was like Doomsday was extracting Superman's essence or something. I know now that Superman thrives on solar radiation, so maybe he was absorbing his energy. All I knew then was that when they were done, Superman was left on the ground, barely alive."  
  
"This is where it gets even more interesting. I was expecting Doomsday to kill me. I had already given up any hope of living. However, he ignored me completely, choosing instead to rove from body to body, collecting them in one location. I could see the Martian Manhunter, Superman, the Flash, Batman, and some boy in a red and yellow costume as well. He ignored Abin Sur and myself completely, along with the other bodies strewn throughout the area."  
  
"He inspected each of them, over and over again, and finally just screamed out in anger or frustration, I'm not sure which. Finally, he raised his arm, still clad in his yellow and red armor, and a large BOOM echoed throughout the area. One by one, he threw the five bodies into the portal that had opened up, and walked into it himself. The portal closed, and I was left there with all of that death and destruction."  
  
"Just then, Abin Sur started making small noises that I could barely hear. I ran to him and sat down next to him. He grabbed me with a surprisingly tight grip. 'Ring . . . worthy bearer . . . brightest day . . . blackest night.' The ring on his finger glowed, and I heard his breathing stop. His body seemed to stretch and shrink at the same time, and swirled into the ring like - I don't know what it was like. Before I realized it, all that was left was his ring in the palm of my hand."  
  
"So, I put it on and asked it to take me to you, which is why I'm here now!" The young man, wearing a denim jacket with a t-shirt that had a green symbol of a ring on it, and brown, scuffed workboots, stood uncomfortably in the Justice League anteroom on the moon. He had flown up under his own power, and was now being subject to intense questioning by Wonder Woman and the Atom.  
  
"Mr. Rayner," Diana began.  
  
"Please, call me Kyle."  
  
"Fine. Kyle, I appreciate your patience in dealing with our incredulity and questioning. My Golden Lasso was taken from Gaea's girdle and will not allow anything but truth from the mouths of those within its grasp. We believe you. Now please, tell us, does your ring have any further information for us?" Diana released Kyle from the lasso and attached it back under her robe.  
  
"No, Ms. . . ummm . . . Wonder . . . Ms. Woman," Kyle stammered. "The only thing I can tell you is that I feel compelled to go to Apokolips. I think your friends will need my help. Believe me, I'd give you the ring so that you could go, but I know . . . somehow . . . that it will only work for me."  
  
APOKOLIPS  
  
The heroes awakened slowly in a darkened chamber. Restraints bonded their heads, chests, arms and legs to the wall. Even the strongest of them found it futile to struggle, Desaad thought. "Welcome to Apokolips, heroes," he rasped, "Your stay here will be painful and agonizing, until we have what we want, after which you will live on in blissful ignorance. Enjoy your stay." 


	4. Chapter 4

**************  
  
Slow Burn II, by Adam Heath Avitable  
This is a sequel to Slow Burn (duh!) and it is recommended you read it  
  
before you try to figure out what is going on here.  
PART FOUR  
  
***************  
  
J'onn awoke to complete darkness. The last thing he remembered was being covered in flames. As a psychic race, the Martians were especially susceptible to the hypnotic effects of fire, a simultaneous mental and physical attack. While he couldn't see, hear, or phase through his restraints, his mind was able to extend to those of his colleagues.  
  
First, there was Wally. He had already recovered from his injuries and was trying to vibrate through the massive harness that held him in check. J'onn could tell him that there was no chance of escape. This was Apokoliptian technology, and it was built for all creatures, superpowered or otherwise. J'onn could also sense Barry Junior - he still thought Superman was slightly childish as a moniker - struggling as well, but simple mental contact calmed both of the childhood friends down. Without even reaching to Dick, J'onn knew the self-styled Batman was calm. Dick, the strategist, was already contemplating his release. "None of your lockpicks or butane welders will help you," J'onn told him mentally.  
  
"Don't worry, J'onn, got it under control. We'll be free in a moment." Dick thought back.  
  
J'onn realized that, rashly, in his desire to check on his surrogate family, he had ignored the child who called himself Robin. He expanded his consciousness to the young hero, only to feel an unusual sensation. As he considered it, he felt the mind of Robin change. It stretched and became someone else. That explains it . . . J'onn thought, and a smile broke out on his normally grim face. I should have trusted Dick not to endanger a child.  
  
The Martian Manhunter heard a series of clicks and clangs as his restraints were removed. As the mask was lifted from his face, he was greeted in inimitable fashion by Eel O'Brien, also known as Plastic Man. "Heeeeeere's Johnny!" Eel said, arching his eyebrows and contorting his expression in a perfect parody of Jack Nicholson.  
  
Looking around, J'onn saw Dick releasing BJ and a restless Wally pacing around their cell. "I imagine our release will trigger some alarms. We should act soon." J'onn said gravely.  
  
"Good idea," BJ said, "but I still want to know what the hell O'Brien is doing here. Why were you masquerading as a child?"  
  
As Plastic Man formed a giant, bouncing question mark, Dick answered. "It's a new psychological attack. Everyone seems to underestimate a child, and they're even more demoralized when he defeats them. It's been working great, and it's much better than actually training a child to be a fighter."  
  
"So it's just the five of us against the whole planet of Apokolips?" BJ asked.  
  
"And what if there is more than one of those creatures? He took us all out in about five minutes, and if we can't defeat one, how can we beat a whole army?" Wally spoke quickly as his movements got faster and faster.  
  
"Wally speaks the truth. We need to find allies if we are to survive this journey." J'onn said.  
  
"Allies? I'll be Stalin, you be Churchill, and you be Roosevelt. Superman, you're France." Plastic Man morphed into a giant red and yellow bear holding a hammer and sickle. "Who are we kidding? We're going to die!!!"  
  
******  
  
Even in his weakened state, Alan Scott felt a surge of power from somewhere within the stronghold's walls. He immediately recognized members of the Justice League as Apokolips's newest residents. With a force of will that would impress the Guardians, he sent out a mental flare containing his location and blueprint of his knowledge of their prison, before slumping into semi-consciousness.  
  
******  
  
J'onn roared as he felt forced psychic contact. The signature was familiar, and as he thought, he was able to identify it as the voice that warned him of the impending threat earlier. This time, however, he was able to trace it back to its sender.  
  
"J'onn, are you okay?" Dick asked.  
  
"I am fine. I have just received contact from Sentinel. He is a prisoner here, along with several other colleagues. I also have some good news for you." He addressed Wally, BJ, and Dick directly. "Barry and Jay were also here."  
  
"Were?" BJ asked.  
  
"Jay was removed to an isolated cell at the same time the creature named Doomsday was created from the heroes' energies. Barry was taken away prior to its creation. I'm very sorry to say this, but Sentinel thinks that Barry was used as the template for Doomsday. Sentinel can't find any trace of him anywhere now." J'onn looked at the three with compassion.  
  
"Dad's alive?" Dick said, the corners of his eyes sparkling with unshed tears. His counterpart's reaction was not as quiet, however.  
  
"No, no, no, this is not fair. My father has been alive this whole time, and now he's . . . some monster? They will pay for what they've done!" BJ's eyes grew red and the rays that erupted ripped a hole in the wall of their cell. "J'onn, I want to find the monsters that did this!"  
  
******  
  
Using the Mother Box technology borrowed by Orion from his visits to New Genesis, Desaad examined Doomsday carefully. "It appears that your mutation has affected your ability to accurately detect the anti-life equation. I know that one of the humans you brought back carries the equation and will be able to determine who shortly. Once I know whose mind we must dissect, we will rule the universe. With Orion once again blissfully unaware as he 'vacations' on New Genesis, Desaad holds the power supreme!"  
  
An alarm sounded at the conclusion of his monologue. Desaad's face darkened. "You'd better have your pet investigate, Desaad. It looks like our new visitors are trying to escape." Granny Goodness spoke from the shadows. "I am risking my head with this treason and we will not fail now."  
  
"Agreed. Doomsday, go to the prison. When I contact you with the name of the prisoner with the anti-life equation, you may kill the rest and bring me that one's conscious body. Extracting the equation will be a painful process for the bearer, but I need him to be alive. Do not allow the prisoners to be harmed until we know who we need!" Desaad spoke quickly to the quiet brute. In a flash of yellow and red, Doomsday was gone.  
  
******  
  
J'onn led the way through the twisting corridors of the prison. Alarms sounded as BJ and Wally breached one wall after another. Plastic Man and Batman held the outer perimeter, dispatching the occasional guard.  
  
"We are almost to the outer wall. There is a large courtyard between this structure and the other prisoners. I expect a force to be stationed outside." J'onn said.  
  
"There is," BJ said, scanning ahead with his x-ray vision. "I only see four or five thousand parademons on the ground in the air between us and the others. Piece of cake!" He moved to knock the wall down.  
  
"Wait," Plastic Man said. "I have an idea."  
  
******  
  
Desaad watched on the monitors as hordes of parademons waited between the two buildings. He always relished war, and this was going to be beautiful. He watched as the walls holding his new prisoners crumbled and the parademons advanced. With the dust from the collapsing wall obscuring his vision, he was unable to see what happened at the wall's breach. Suddenly, rather than fighting, the parademons stopped and bowed their heads. Utterly confused, Desaad waited impatiently for the dust to settle. He was horrified to see Darkseid, followed by Granny Goodness, dragging the three prisoners behind them.  
  
******  
  
"Is it working?" Plastic Man asked through clenched teeth as he kept the form of Granny Goodness exactly as J'onn described.  
  
"Plastic Man, I am telepathic. We can speak with our minds," J'onn said from within his façade as the former ruler of Apokolips. "The parademons are essentially brainless, and I think we will be able to convince them, barring any outside infl-" His words cut off mid-sentence as Doomsday appeared to his left, pushing through the ranks. He looked confused, however, and made no move to attack.  
  
At that moment, Desaad's disembodied voice spoke to the throngs of warriors. "They are impostors! Tear them apart, but save this one - I need him alive!" A holograph of Wally West's face floated above the sky.  
  
"Ulp." Eel O'Brien said as the hordes advanced with a mighty roar. 


	5. Chapter 5: Conclusion

Slow Burn II  
  
Chapter 5  
  
------------------  
  
Author's Note:  
  
I'm sorry it's taken so long to finish this. I had extreme writer's block, compounded with an extremely demanding job, and I just couldn't write this the way that I wanted. This still has a few problems, but I think it covers the ending that I really wanted for this story. You may want to re-read the entire story, and even Slow Burn I, because some of this won't make any sense. I'd really like to hear your thoughts and reviews.  
  
I'll be writing an Annotation shortly, too.  
  
------------------  
  
"Run." J'onn's voice echoed in Wally's head. "Don't worry about us. Just run."  
  
"But, J'onn," Wally started to protest.  
  
"DO IT." J'onn roared in his head. Almost subconsciously, Wally began to run. And run fast. Instantly, his friends and enemies were frozen in mid-step, in mid-breath as he kicked into full speed. This was the part he relished. If it wasn't for the homicidal maniac behind him who wanted to empty his brain, Wally would almost enjoy the rush – the feeling of speed.  
  
Over his shoulder, Wally saw Doomsday start after him. "That's Uncle Barry," Wally thought, "I have to get through to him". Almost in response, Doomsday growled and began to catch up.  
  
------------------  
  
Wally and Doomsday disappeared in a blink of an eye. Once this fact registered, the hordes of parademons roared en masse and charged.  
  
"We can do this," BJ said. "Just stick together. J'onn and I alone should be able to . . ." His words cut off as giant lamps on the horizon turned on, and the air turned red. Simultaneously, the Apokoliptian firepits began spewing flames into the air, filling the atmosphere with red hot embers and ash. J'onn's face went as pale as a green face could possibly turn, and BJ felt his strength slowly ebbing.  
  
"Ok," he said, "We can still do this, but we just have to do it really fast."  
  
"Okey dokey, you're the boss," Plastic Man said as he changed into Wally. "We can do fast!"  
  
------------------  
  
3, 4, 5 times Wally crossed the planet of Apokolips with Doomsday in tow. Neither of them gained or lost any ground, and both were as evenly-paced as when they started. "It's time to show him what real speed is," Wally thought. He began to sidestep as he ran faster, hopping and stepping in a rhythm that he had been perfecting.  
  
To Doomsday, Wally appeared to split, forming image after image of himself across the horizon until each image danced and shimmered. The pain grew fiercer in Doomsday's head, and he knew that if he caught this annoying creature, the pain might stop.  
  
------------------  
  
Desaad watched the monitors as the parademons thronged around the heroes. "I must congratulate myself on the red sun filters – I knew that would ebb away at the Kryptonian's powers! Turning up the firepits' output was pure genius as well, Granny."  
  
Granny Goodness beamed. "The Martian was in my care for long enough that I knew this would knock him down very easily. This is going easier than we expected. Once Doomsday captures the human, we will have the anti-life equation, and we can rule the universe. The only remaining step is to dispatch Orion, who is half the leader that his father, Lord Darkseid, was."  
  
The rest of the cabal applauded and shouted their approval. They were mainly comprised of members of Orion's cabinet, who had been on his father's cabinet as well. With their own special talents and abilities, they had certain merits, but none had the backbone to lead the rebellion like Desaad.  
  
"Is there any chance of the heroes defeating our army?" One of the members, Virman Vundabar, asked.  
  
"With the two strongest weakened, they are only a rubber man and a mere human. What else could they do?" Desaad stated, watching the monitors intensely.  
  
------------------  
  
Dick Grayson Garrick watched BJ and J'onn struggle to keep their attackers at bay. Plastic Man had transformed into a large beast and he was swinging parademons around gleefully. The army's weapons passed through him, the holes repairing seamlessly. However, the sheer numbers were still overwhelming. Using all of his available skills, Dick was busy dodging shots and pummeling opponents, but the attack seemed endless. "Eel," he shouted. "The wall! Breach the prison wall!" He pointed to the building housing all of the imprisoned heroes.  
  
Plastic Man loved it when he was on top of his game. It was times like this that he didn't mind being the clown. Superduperman and the Martian were having trouble keeping up, and he was in charge! "I love this hero stuff," he thought. When Bat-man told him to hit the wall, it was a simple task. He created a large claw and picked up ten parademons. Quickly, he swung them into the prison wall. The wall buckled and crumbled, and he re-formed himself into a giant trampoline. The bricks and debris from the hole he just created bounced harmlessly to the ground, and the heroes entered the prison.  
  
------------------  
  
"It's working," Wally thought as he watched Doomsday reel and close his eyes in response to the afterimages Wally created. "Maybe I can stop him now and get Uncle Barry back."  
  
Without missing a step, Wally circled around Doomsday and approached him from behind. He built up speed and charged, intending to hit him with a thousand blows a second. Hopefully, the impact would cause Doomsday to cartwheel out of control and slow him down long enough to give Wally the chance to talk to him.  
  
Doomsday was still closing his eyes and shaking his head as Wally approached at the speed of light, fist raised. A nanosecond before impact, Doomsday noticed the motion out of the corner of his eye and tried to move out of the way. It was a little too late, however.  
  
Instead, Wally's fist became embedded in the back of Doomsday's head. Instead of being solid, Doomsday had become pliable and had absorbed Wally's fist like quicksand. Doomsday reached around and swung Wally to the ground with all of his might.  
  
The last though Wally had before blacking out was that at this speed, he'd be lucky if he didn't careen into space from the impact.  
  
------------------  
  
Enjoying their brief respite from the red solar light and the fiery air, BJ and J'onn zipped throughout the prison, releasing prisoners from top to bottom. Plastic Man and Bat-man formed a makeshift barrier to keep the parademons for entering for a few moments.  
  
The released heroes gathered together for a quick reunion and introductions all around. Dick and Jay embraced tearfully. Sentinel introduced himself to J'onn and apologized for invading his mind earlier. Ted Knight and Roy Lincoln stood to one side quietly. Captain Nathaniel Adam introduced himself to BJ, and offered his assistance in military planning, which was accepted readily. The remainder, including Ice, Ray, Vic Stone, Garfield Logan, Jon Osterman, and Rocky Davis, among others, waited for instructions. They were tired and angry and ready to seek retribution on their captors for the last five years.   
  
"Uncle Jay, is it true about my dad?" BJ asked. "They made him into that monster?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Barry," Jay said. "Maybe he's still inside that creature somewhere."  
  
"We need to help Wally, and we need to get through the thousands of parademons stationed outside," BJ said to the group. "Captain Atom, J'onn and I are the powerhouses, so we will be at the forefront of the battle. Those of you with the ability to fight from a distance should stand back and use your powers to strike the fliers down. Anyone who may be unable to fight must stay inside the building here."  
  
"This is going to be the hardest thing any of us has every done." BJ continued. "We are little more than 20 people with special abilities and powers against thousands of vicious creatures bred to fight and wreak havoc. There will be casualties, and we may not survive the rest of the day, but we'll take as many of them with us as we can!!"  
  
The group roared as one, and began to charge to the exit.  
  
"Wait," Alan Scott spoke up, hovering shakily in the air. "Between myself and the Human Bomb," he pointed at Roy Lincoln, "we have a plan for a good exit. I have enough power left for us to give those bastards one hell of a present!"  
  
------------------  
  
Kyle Rayner headed towards Apokolips in a green spaceship of his own design. He couldn't believe that only a day earlier he was struggling to finish art school and pay his credit card bills. Now he was in charge of the Earth and other planets in the same sector, as a Green Lantern, part of a galaxy-wide police force known as the Green Lantern Corps. In fact, Kyle was searching for this sector's GL in order to get some help on Apokolips.  
  
"Are you sure this is the right place?" Kyle asked his ring as he approached a small moon, feeling foolish for talking to a piece of garish jewelry.  
  
"The Czarnian is on that planet." The ring said inside Kyle's head. He continued to descend into the moon's atmosphere, where the ship dissipated over a small town. Kyle, surrounded by a green aura, floated to the ground, where he could hear explosions and large booms coming from a building on the edge of the town. As he got closer, he could tell it was a bar or tavern of some sort. The sounds of a fight became clearer as he landed on the ground.  
  
"Yer fraggin' dead," a voice roared from inside. "That wuz my fav'rit shirt!"  
  
"Tough luck, bub. What are you going to do about it?" A quieter, voice said, closer to the door than Kyle realized. He instinctively took a step back as he heard a loud "SKLUTCH" sound, and the door slammed open.  
  
A wild-haired, white-skinned giant of a humanoid, standing about 8 feet tall strolled out. He was wearing a large green jacket and smoking a giant cigar. The black around his eyes made him look very mean, and this was compounded by the fact that he was dragging a small, short man with claws for his hands. Kyle couldn't tell what the man looked like, because there was a large hook imbedded in his face.  
  
"This can't be a Green Lantern," Kyle whispered to his ring. "He's too vicious."  
  
"Actually, you little bastich, this sector requires a different temperament than most areas. I'm fearless and the fraggin' Guardians say that I'm honorable, so blow that out yer ass." The Czarnian stopped where he was and turned to look at Kyle. "This guy wuz one of the ten top terrorists on this side of the moon, and it wuz my job to stop him. Lobo 1, Logan 0. Ha!"  
  
He walked over to a vehicle that was a cross between a motorcycle and a ship and straddled the seat. As the engine rumbled to life, he yelled, "So, you got bizness in my part of the galaxy?"  
  
------------------  
  
Wally skipped across the planet, covering miles between landings. His body tumbled lifelessly to a stop at the edge of a firepit, costume smoldering and skin blistering from the intense heat. As Doomsday approached and picked him up, his eyes fluttered. "Uncle Barry, please." was all he could muster before returning to unconsciousness.  
  
------------------  
  
The throngs of parademons surrounded the prison, waiting impatiently for the heroes to exit. Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and the walls of the prison buckled, then exploded with immense force. The resulting debris killed or injured almost a full third of the attacking force, and as the rest charged the building, Alan held his green shield that had protected them from the force for as long as he could.  
  
------------------  
  
As Kyle and Lobo neared the planet, they could see clouds of dust and flames belching from its surface. "Yeehaw!" Lobo growled in glee. "Looks like there's some fragging to be done!" He gunned his motorcycle toward the planet.  
  
"What did you say?" Kyle asked from within his ship. "Don't you know that sound doesn't travel in a vacuum? I can't hear a damn word you just said. Wait up!"  
  
------------------  
  
Wally awoke slowly and gasped in pain as he realized the full extent of his injuries. He tried to take a deep breath, and winced as he felt his ribs trying to heal themselves. Wally was restrained to a table, laying down and strapped in. As he tried to vibrate out of the straps, Desaad stepped up. "Don't even try to struggle, little human. These restraints would even stop Scott Free. Doomsday, come over here. I need you one last time to extract the anti-life equation from this insect's brain."  
  
Doomsday loomed over Wally. "Uncle Barry," Wally began. "I know you can hear me in there. I'm sorry – we didn't mean to abandon you. We thought you were dead."  
  
"Silence!" Desaad shrieked. "Doomsday, I need your services now. Retrieve the equation from his consciousness. Be very careful."  
  
Doomsday grunted and spread his fingers around Wally's head. Instantly, Wally began to feel his strength diminish. "Barry, don't do this," he pleaded. "We love you – BJ, your son, needs you. Iris, your wife, needs you. She misses you, Barry."  
  
Doomsday merely squeezed harder, causing bright flashes of pain to appear before Wally's eyes.  
  
"Yes! It's working!" Desaad crowed triumphantly.  
  
------------------  
  
The heroes fought as if they had been a team for their entire lives. J'onn, BJ, and Capt. Adam moved lightning-fast, knocking parademons down, going for the quick kill for each of them. There were too many to fight for them to spend more than one or two seconds each.  
  
Ted Knight used his cosmic rod to clear the air and protect J'onn from the fire and BJ from the red light. Ice used her power indiscriminately, freezing every enemy in sight. Plastic Man turned into a slingshot, and Dick and a now-powerless Alan shot debris into the oncoming hordes. Ray used his power intermittently, blinding the oncoming soldiers one at a time. The Human Bomb walked slowly through the crowd, touching one soldier after another, causing explosion after explosion.  
  
Slowly, with every downed parademon, the heroes advanced. "We're winning!" Plastic Man said, forming a giant foam hand with a #1 on it. "It's actually working!"  
  
At that moment, a well placed blaster shot hit Ted Knight directly in the center of this chest, killing him instantly. So intent on protecting BJ and J'onn, he had neglected to shield himself at all.   
  
The fire flared up again, and the red sunlight hit BJ full force. He staggered, as did J'onn, leaving Captain Adam to fight the onslaught. Just as quickly, the advantage was lost, and the heroes found themselves completely surrounded once again.  
  
"We're losing." Plastic Man said, changing into a sad clown. "I think we're all going to die. Dick, I'm sorry for using your toothbrush to clean the toilet."  
  
Dick didn't answer as he steeled himself for a fight to the death.  
  
------------------  
  
From above, Kyle and Lobo floated gently, having left their transportation behind. They could see the thousands of warriors surrounding a small circle of 20 or so people. "I think we need a plan," Kyle said.  
  
"No need for a plan, kid – we need an army! Yer lucky that I got one though – ready for this type o' occasion." Lobo growled with satisfaction.  
  
------------------  
  
As Doomsday searched through his consciousness, Wally could feel his life drifting away. Suddenly, he had an insight. "I'll show you what to come back to," he thought, and began to daydream at top speed. Image after image appeared in his head – meeting his wife Linda, running for the very first time at top speed, his first kiss, his first ice cream, working at Flashco . . . Doomsday reacted visibly to these images, shaking his head and growling.  
  
"Doomsday, concentrate on the equation. Do not allow yourself to be distracted." Desaad commanded.  
  
Wally concentrated harder. Watching a great movie, seeing a sunset, swimming at the beach, watching a lightning storm from far away . . . Doomsday roared and his face contorted in pain. "RRRGGGGGHH NOOOOOOO," the creature screamed.   
  
------------------  
  
Kyle looked around for this so-called army, only to watch Lobo take his large hook and slice his own arm open to the bone. Blood splashed down the battlefield. Kyle's horror turned to amazement as he watched the droplets of blood slowly enlarge as they fell. They sprouted arms and legs, black manes of hair, and pasty white bodies, until they were indistinguishable from Lobo. The army of Lobos, in freefall, roared in unison, causing the entire battlefield to stop and look skyward in shock.  
  
------------------  
  
Wally thought it had worked as Doomsday reeled in pain, but he continued to think happy thoughts. The taste of a ripe apple plucked from a tree in his parents' orchard in Blue Valley, his first paycheck from his first job at Big Belly Burger, his first day of high school, and sitting next to the prettiest girl in school, Mary Batson, his first time flying . .   
  
Doomsday fell to the ground and ripped his hand away from Wally's head. The table that Wally lay on fell to the floor, and his releases shattered. Doomsday grabbed Wally by his neck and held him into the air. "Uncle Barry, no!! You can do it, I believe in you!" Wally shouted as Doomsday began to squeeze.  
  
------------------  
  
The battle was over in minutes. The several hundred naked Lobos swarmed through the warriors, using teeth, claws and pure strength to destroy the warriors viciously. The heroes, ready to die defending themselves, looked on in shock, except for Ice, who looked at Lobo with a knowing smile.  
  
Kyle and the original Lobo used their rings to destroy the red lights and put a lid on the firepits. The heroes, feeling much better, began to gather their wounded and dead.  
  
"We need to find Wally!" BJ said, approaching the two Green Lanterns. "If Desaad gets the anti-life equation, none of this would have mattered! And I need to get to my father!" His eyes set with a grim determination, he began searching the area with his telescopic vision.  
  
------------------  
  
"No, Doomsday, you'll ruin everything!" Desaad shrieked. "Put the boy down!"  
  
"Go ahead, Uncle Barry," Wally gasped as his vision turned black around the edges. "Just don't let them get it. They'll enslave everyone."  
  
Instead of squeezing further, Doomsday let go, dropping Wally to the ground. He looked around in confusion and saw his reflection in a window. With terror in his eyes, he swung around to face Desaad. Hhe knocked Desaad into the cabal standing back against the wall with a vicious blow. Doomsday left them there in an undignified heap, walked over to Wally, and said a single word.  
  
"Shazam."  
  
And a little boy was in the place where Doomsday had stood, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.  
  
As Wally began to get up, Desaad stood and withdrew a vicious looking weapon from his robe. "Earthling, I will kill the boy if you move a muscle. That disturbs you, doesn't it? We'll get the equation from you somehow."  
  
Before Wally could react, a large BOOM! announced a boom tube opening. Orion appeared, and without hesitating, directed his eyes towards Desaad and the entire cabal. The room grew red for an instant, and when Wally could see again, Desaad and his traitors were nothing more than dust in the wind.  
  
------------------  
  
"I never intended for Desaad's nefarious plans to get this far," Orion said to the entire gathering of heroes. It had been a simple matter to collect all of them in his palace, where Wally was recuperating. "It has ended, however, and you shall now leave my home."  
  
"Orion," BJ said, "I can't understand how you could condone their actions that kept people captive for more than five years, away from their family and friends. Little Billy Batson may never recover from the psychological and physical strain of his ordeal. Are you the same monster that your father was?" His eyes flared with indignance.  
  
"How dare you question Orion, Lord of Apokolips! I do not have to answer your ridiculous questioning, but I will, to show that I am not devoid of intellect and reason. The anti-life equation is not something to be taken lightly, and if I was to eliminate this cancer of treachery from my planet, I needed to know how far it reached. This was necessary, and I will apologize for nothing! Your visit has tried my patience, and I will offer you safe transport to your planet." He pointed towards the wall with a hand, and a Boom Tube opened up. "Now leave my presence before my charitable nature leaves me."  
  
The heroes moved quickly into the Boom Tube, eager to return home to their loved ones. BJ paused before stepping in. "Orion, if I can ask one more question – do you know where my father is?"  
  
Orion's eyes softened a little. "Little Superman, I do not know. He was taken away to be executed, but I had two guards loyal to me take him so that I could send him home. Instead, however, he broke away and disappeared in a flash of light. Where he ended up is anyone's guess."  
  
BJ's eyes misted over as he turned and entered the Boom Tube. As it closed, Orion was left alone (except for the hundreds of naked Lobos, of course).  
  
------------------  
  
EPILOGUE:  
  
Barry ran faster and faster until he was running in a tunnel of white light, bent around him with no end in sight. Still, he kept running, and suddenly, he heard footsteps beside him. Jesse and Johnny Quick, Max Mercury, and Don and Dawn Mercury, ran beside him, keeping up pace, pale versions of themselves. "Come, Barry," Max said, "We've saved a seat for you." Barry cried as he became one with the light. 


	6. Annotations

Annotations:  
  
Chapter 1:  
  
Orion - Darkseid's son - this is the Kingdom Come version, and his Astro Force has been internalized to the point that he can shoot eyebeams like Darkseid.  
  
Desaad - Darkseid's resident torturer and sadistic bastard.  
  
Granny Goodness - One of Darkseid's Elite, trained children in the service of Darkseid.  
  
Alan Scott - The first Green Lantern. Known also as Sentinel, although JSA had him take back Green Lantern again recently. His power (the starheart) was within him when I wrote this, but Geoff Johns pulled it out again and put it on his finger in a ring format.  
  
Billy - Billy Batson, aka Captain Marvel  
  
Captain Carrot - stories from Earth-C, I believe, pre-Crisis. Animal archetypes of DC superheroes.  
  
The Losers - a great new Vertigo series, not to mention a great older series about a group of soldiers.  
  
Swamp Thing - Alec Holland was killed in an explosion with an experimental compound that assumed his identity and roamed the planet (and galaxy).  
  
Ray - The Ray, aka Ray Terill. I think he was on Young Justice for a short while. He had to charge his body in order to use his light abilities.  
  
Happy Terrill - Golden Age Ray - Freedom Fighter  
  
Ted Knight - Original JSA Starman. Originally, I had an idea to keep Ted on Apokolips, using his rod, but decided to kill him instead.  
  
"girl who could generate ice" - Ice Maiden, from JLI  
  
"atomic military man" - Captain Nathaniel Adam, aka Captain Atom  
  
"man who could blow things up at will" - The Human Bomb, Freedom Fighters  
  
"fighting, screaming figure" - obviously, if you've read the story, you know this was Billy Batson, not Barry Allen, like you're led to believe  
  
"Orion wanted to look away" - just foreshadowing of his reluctance to be "evil"  
  
J'onn J'onzz felt very "anti-monitor" duty - just a little riff on the Anti- Monitor from Crisis  
  
Choco cookies - J'onn's obsession, explored in the great Ostrander/Mahnke series that should never have been cancelled.  
  
When Orion hit the birthing matrix with the Astro Force, it sparked with lightning - this was Billy calling Shazam!  
  
Chapter 2:  
  
Darkseid was dressed in red and yellow armor. I wanted you to think this was the Flash, but of course, Marvel also has a red and yellow costume.  
  
Desaad has created this creature to be almost like an Amazo - he absorbs and learns new powers and abilities when he's confronted by them. That's why he can stretch like Plastic Man and absorb energy like the Ray.  
  
"this is certain to be their doomsday" - gets his name in a similar way that Doomsday got his when Booster Gold called him Doomsday  
  
Desaad manipulates Orion into ordering Doomsday to obey Desaad, so that he could have him do anything he asked for.  
  
After performing the task, Doomsday becomes a Bizarro-Darkseid/Doomsday clone. That's why he has the chalky white skin. The chalky dust rising from his body is a reference to the storyline post-crisis when Bizarro's dust from his disintegrating body restored Lucy Lane's sight.  
  
"What is this bizarre creature?" - another reference to Bizarro  
  
Doomsday's speaking ability has regressed to that of current continuity's Doomsday - speaking in guttural phrases.  
  
On Earth:  
  
Dick Grayson - Bat-Man. Actually Dick Grayson Garrick, since he was adopted by Jay and Joan Garrick.  
  
Jim Gordon - retired Commissioner in current continuity. Two-Face in mine! I thought I could explore a story with Barbara being Batgirl and Jim cracking because of it.  
  
Robin the Boing Wonder - just a hint that it was Plastic Man. When it says that he was bouncing around in the background, he was actually bouncing!  
  
Jim's holding the Olsen twins hostage unless McD's brings back 2 for $2 = just a little parody of Two-Face's obsession with the number 2  
  
J'onn heard the snap-hiss of the transporter - snap-hiss is actually the onomatopoeia used for a light saber being turned on.  
  
Wally West - his background in my stories are pretty similar to continuity, except that he has a little extra "Jedi" power because his mind contains the anti-life equation.  
  
Barry Allen, Jr. - aka BJ, aka Superman. Adopted by Barry and Iris Allen when they took him out of the rocket from Krypton, Barry has had two legacies to live up to.  
  
Abin Sur - the Flashes saved Abin's ship from crashing, and he never died to pass his ring onto Hal Jordan. He's a little more dour and proper, but a great hero.  
  
Wally pushed out with his hands and Barry flew backwards - example of the anti-life equation. Didn't want to make too much of it, but just thought it was a little fun foreshadowing  
  
Diana - Wonder Woman - in this reality, Lois Lane is married to Lex Luthor, the philanthropist, and BJ and Wonder woman are together.  
  
Kara or Joel as the child - this is a tribute to Generations, where Superman and Lois's children are named Joel and Kara. I also believe that Joel is the name of Superman and Wonder Woman's son in The Kingdom, but it might be Jonathan.  
  
Ray Palmer - updated his costume to be more appropriate for the science hero type. He's still the Atom, though.  
  
In Gotham:  
  
Doomsday mutated further - at this point, he should look less and less like Darkseid and more and more like Doomsday. Just a thought.  
  
Doomsday froze Gordon - a power taken from Ice Maiden back on Apokolips.  
  
Robin says "Holy Walt Disney" - since he's supposedly cryogenically frozen. Just some morbid humor.  
  
Abin thinks Doomsday's disappeared, but then realizes he moved fast. Almost as fast as . . .- this is another hint that Doomsday is actually Barry Allen.  
  
Abin Sur had his head crushed by Doomsday because of the yellow on his gloves - broke through the barrier that prevented mortal injury.  
  
Chapter 3:  
  
"Turtle Boy Comic" - reference to Jimmy Olsen, who became Turtle Boy for a TV Show in current continuity. He may have actually become Turtle Boy in pre-crisis.  
  
Jenny's apartment - Jenny Lynn Hayden - Alan Scott's daughter and the superhero known as Jade. Kyle and Jade are dating in current continuity  
  
"holding Green Lantern - well, you know" - this is because Kyle is in a GL outfit, standing in front of Diana and Ray, so he felt strange saying Green Lantern to describe Abin Sur.  
  
scream like in Wendy the Werewolf Slayer - tribute to Peter David's Young Justice, where they went on that show, an obvious parody of Buffy.  
  
Kyle keeps saying things like "I didn't know I could do that." Since he now has the ring, he's able to replay his memory and is referring to himself as the new GL.  
  
Bright flash of light to take down Flash - Doomsday just used Ray's powers to blind Flash and hit him.  
  
The crazy guy trying to bore holes into the center of the earth - Imperiex - This is just a joke about Imperiex in the OWAW storyline, since they were boring holes into the earth.  
  
Ball of green flame encircled MM - this is a power taken from Sentinel.  
  
Superman would always try to talk someone down rather than beat them, so I thought this was within character. When Doomsday touched him and the explosion occurred, this was a result of the Human Bomb's power being transferred to Doomsday.  
  
Then, Doomsday used Plastic Man and Ray's powers to cover Superman and suck the energy out of him.  
  
Abin Sur passed the ring onto someone worthy - he now lives inside the ring, something that was more of a tribute to Dr. Fate and the helmet of Nabu than anything else.  
  
Kyle's costume is a tribute to the Generations version of GL  
  
Chapter 4:  
  
Plastic Man rescues everyone - I'm loving the current explanation in the JLA that Plastic Man is the most powerful being on the planet. It's great fun, and you can have him do anything.  
  
"Heere's Johnny!" - from the Shining, starring Jack Nicholson  
  
Allies - Plastic Man is obviously talking about WWII. Calling Superman France is just a funny joke because he's actually the strongest one there.  
  
Jay also thinks that Barry is Doomsday - this becomes the assumption for the rest of the story.  
  
Plastic Man can change color, and does so to assume the shape of Granny Goodness. J'onn, as a shapeshifter, can keep the image of Darkseid very easily. This would have been a good plan if it wasn't for Desaad determining who had the equation.  
  
Chapter 5:  
  
Wally kicks into hyperspeed, and does tricks that have happened to him in current continuity.  
  
Since Krypton had a red sun, the red light would drain all of BJ's power that he received from absorbing the yellow sunlight. In addition, the fire from the pits weaken J'onn, since fire is his only weakness.  
  
Dick, as the only human, still has trouble keeping himself alive, but he remains a leader.  
  
Plastic Man calls Superman Superduperman, which is a tribute to the MAD parody of the same name.  
  
When Wally hit Doomsday, Doomsday used Plastic Man's powers to ensnare Wally's fist.  
  
The rescued heroes are (ones that haven't been named yet): Roy Lincoln - Human Bomb Captain Adam - Capt. Atom Vic Stone - Cyborg Garfield Logan - Beast Boy, or Changeling Jon Osterman - tribute to Dr. Manhattan from the Watchmen (so powerful they could never have kept him captive) Rocky Davis - tribute to Challengers of the Unknown (no real superpowers to absorb)  
  
Kyle in space:  
  
Apokolips is normally in a fold in space, so you can't reach it from a ship, but I changed the galaxy to fit my needs.  
  
The Czarnian is Lobo, who is the last Czarnian - only after killing his entire race to become so.  
  
The fight is my proper retconning of the fight between Wolverine and Lobo in DC vs. Marvel Amalgam Age. Wolverine would never win!!!! When I tell the story, Logan gets his ass handed to him. It's him saying "bub", obviously.  
  
Lobo saying "fav'rit shirt" is a tribute to the Lobo vs. Superman fight when Bibbo was an onlooker, completely plastered and trying to figure out who was his "fav'rit".  
  
SKLUTCH - the sound of a hook being inserted into an adamantium skull.  
  
Back on Apokolips:  
  
The Human Bomb blew up the building while everyone hid in the green bubble Alan created.  
  
Lobo talking to Kyle - just illustrating the ludicrous logic sometimes in comics.  
  
Desaad says the restraints would stop Scott Free - this is thrown in there for Mark, since he was looking for a Mister Miracle reference.  
  
Doomsday reacts the strongest to images that seem important to him. Working at Flashco - Billy Batson works there for one of their radio stations (there's no possible way anybody could know this - I never said it anywhere), watching a lightning storm - reminiscent of the Shazam lightning, sitting next to Mary Batson - of course, this is Billy's sister, and is the thought that brings Billy back into his right mind.  
  
Lobo's blood, in several stories, until it was fixed, generates a new Lobo for every drop. I figured that there was no better way to save the heroes than with hundreds of naked Lobos.  
  
Big Belly Burger - that's from Hitman, and it's a parody of Fatburger here in California.  
  
When Doomsday says Shazam, he turns back into Billy Batson. Can he turn into Marvel anymore? I don't know.  
  
Orion destroys the entire cabal with one look - that's how powerful he is.  
  
Barry broke away and began running as fast as he can - he entered the Speed Force and this is for the better. I was going to have him end up in the future with the LSH, or maybe go mad and become a villain, but I figured his mind had cracked at the end and he had given up hope, so maybe I should let him rest.  
  
All of the people he sees in the light are the speedsters who died in Slow Burn I.  
  
Thanks for reading these copious, boring notes. I love writing, and I hope you like my work. 


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